If i can ask everyone to please put their phones on silent mode and let me welcome you to the campus of George Washington university. It is a real treat, a real pleasure and privilege to want to get host chairman mccaul on campus. He has been chairman of the House Homeland Security committee since 2013. At a time where there seems to be gridlock in washington, d. C. , i can say without any exaggeration, he is arguably one of the most prolific and more importantly, effective legislators in d. C. Right now, focused on a whole host of National Security issues and also chairs his committee in a , whichly bipartisan way is very true to the issues that our country faces on national and Homeland Security. I will be very brief, which is very, which is very true to the rare for mei will turn it over to the chairman now. Afterwards, we have an amazing panel. When you think about members of congress, you dont immediately think cia or National Counterterrorism center or you dont immediately think
On the threats facing the United States. This is two hours and ten minutes. Good morning. This hearing of the Senate Committee Homeland Security Affairs Committee is called to order. This is our annual threats to the homeland hearing. I want to welcome my witnesses. Id like to start by acknowledging the victims of the hurricanes and houston, texas. In florida. Throughout the caribbean and puerto rico. Maybe it wasnt contemplated when we set up the hearing on the other enormous threats. Theres real threat to human life occurring now throughout the nation. And well acknowledge that. All the individuals are in our thoughts and prayers. Im sure everybody joins me in that. We are pleased to welcome the acting secretary of the department of Homeland Security e lain duke. Director of federal bureau of investigation christopher wray. The director of the National Counter Terrorism Center nicholas rasmussen. We want to thank you for your service. The threats are growing. Evolving. I do not envy
States. This is two hours and ten minutes. Good morning. This hearing of the Senate Committee Homeland Security Affairs Committee is called to order. This is our annual threats to the homeland hearing. I want to welcome my witnesses. Id like to start by acknowledging the victims of the hurricanes and houston, texas. In florida. Throughout the caribbean and puerto rico. Maybe it wasnt contemplated when we set up the hearing on the other enormous threats. Theres real threat to human life occurring now throughout the nation. And well acknowledge that. All the individuals are in our thoughts and prayers. Im sure everybody joins me in that. We are pleased to welcome the acting secretary of the department of Homeland Security e lain duke. Director of federal bureau of investigation christopher wray. The director of the National Counter Terrorism Center nicholas rasmussen. We want to thank you for your service. The threats are growing. Evolving. I do not envy any of you your task of the serio
Form including islamist terrorism. What we try tried to do in this committee is through this hearing process layout a reality. I come from a manufacturing background. Salt a lot of problems. The only way to solve a problem is first admit you have one properly define it, properly describe it, gather the information and admit to the reality. There is no way anybody can deny we have a problem worldwide in terms of extremism and violence. We witness it just a few hours ago on a practice field for a Charity Baseball event. Let me acknowledge first of all our prayers are with those victims, congressman scalise, the staff member and the two members of the capitol Hill Security team that were worded and even having been wounded they continue to to return fire and prevented a far greater tragedy. The appreciation we owe to the men and women in Public Safety that every day they step out of the threshold of their door they literally put their lives on the line. They demonstrated it again this mor
The president elect said hes asked for his opinion on candidates for the trump administration. Ive asked him what he thinks are the biggest problems of the country. What are some of the greatest assets Going Forward and we have a very good dialogue. I must tell you. I never met him before this and i never spoke to him before this. I really, i do like him. I love getting his ideas and i may differ in many cases i differ very greatly. Quickly though. In one of those cases where you went to him with the specific person you had in mind for an appointment. Did you go with his recommendation . I would say that yes, i take his recommendations very seriously. And there are some people that i will be appointing, and in one case have appointed where he thought very highly of that person, yes. So there you have it. The president elect did not say who that person is. During campaign, donald trump called the president a disaster, weak and maybe the worst president in american history. President oba